The Grace Gap

My “Grace Gap” deals with how open my heart is to receive God’s grace. He is alive in us when our hearts are gapingly open to the outpouring of His grace. God’s grace is abundant, is freely given and readily available . He longs daily to grace our lives.

Unfortunately, our hearts are often closed. Or, the opening or gap available to His grace is so small that we offer Him little access and the flow of grace is restricted. We easily spend much of our life filling our gaping need for grace with self serving efforts. We seek ways to satisfy ourselves; pursue practices to prove our sufficiency or spin stories to show our significance.

How then is God’s grace restricted from flowing freely? Where there is no need, there is no grace. Grace never flows where sufficiency exists. Grace is always ready to pour liberally to the desperate heart. God’s grace, like gravity, flows downward toward poverty of spirit, humility, brokenness or weakness.

This was the case with the Macedonian believers:
“… we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

Their Grace Gap was huge! They opened wide their hearts. They knew the reality of their poverty and yet the gap in their heart was wide open,, allowing His grace to overflow.

Grace only flows when the weight of my neediness is great. The Grace Gap in my life is proportionate to the recognition of my need for help. Self sufficiency repels grace like water off a ducks back.

May your heart be open wide for His grace today.

“Gaping need overflows with gushing grace – humble hearts reflect Jesus face”